Millions of women around the world took to their local city centers and urban hubs to hold a protest on women’s rights and equality for on Jan. 21, 2017. While organizers expected a sizable turnout, they were not prepared for what actually ended up taking place.
Many of these marches simply became demonstrations because there wasn’t enough room for all of the people who came out. In observing such a monumental event, The Tiger staff discussed the effectiveness of the march, what the true motives may have been and what the ramifications of the march could shape up to be moving forward.
There is no question that the throngs of people who came out to support the protest were heard all around the world. While some argue that the protest was not targeted at President Trump, many would say that it would not have taken place if he had not been elected. The grounds for such a movement are rooted at least in part in his disparaging comments about women and his lack of concern for equality across the board.
President Trump undoubtedly has a complicated relationship with female voters across the country. Some women have joined his movement to restore greatness to the country and have chosen to ignore his comments, while many other women feel that their reproductive rights are likely to be infringed upon and that his policies will have a negative effect on gender equality moving forward.
It’s worth mentioning that there is a distinct difference between the protestors of the Women’s March and the rioters that filled the streets of Washington, D.C. the day before. Those who chose to burn trashcans, smash windows and wreak havoc throughout the city didn’t accomplish anything with their demonstrations. However, the millions who gathered on Saturday sent a clear message that they were not backing down in the fight for their rights.
Additionally, the comments from Madonna mentioning that she wanted to blow up the White House were unacceptable, and many agree that she should recant such a statement. Any other citizen who would say such a thing would have been an immediate target of the Secret Service, and such threats accomplish nothing in the fight for justice.
While observing the activities that took place during the march, it’s important to note that the march was meant to represent all women, regardless of their race or sexuality. That is part of the concern in how this movement will move forward. All women face these issues, and that cannot be forgotten. It’s not just about white women, transgender women or bisexual women.
It’s about supporting women everywhere and working to defend their rights.
In a hopeful world, this sort of activism will continue. Everyone should consider that if it was their mother, aunt, grandmother or sister facing these injustices, how would they respond? At the very core, whether they agree or not, everyone should try to find common ground and understand the dilemmas that the march was based upon.
The most significant hurdle is for the movement to continue. There will be so many things that people will hear over the next four years and there’s a good possibility that citizens will begin to stop listening.
People will begin to care less, which we’ve seen throughout the election process itself.
Hopefully people will not get fatigued and will continue working to find middle ground and to fight for the causes they’re passionate about.
